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Sing Along! You Have the Children's
Permission
By Karen Braynard
Music seems to be disappearing in classrooms across America, but
there are just too many reasons not to let it slip away in yours.
Incorporating music into the daily routine of preschool children
provides far more positive development than a simple appreciation of
music. Many teachers and parents are aware that an early exposure
to music increases math and language skills, but many arent aware
that music structured throughout a preschoolers day also provides
considerable social, emotional, and physical benefits. With just a little
creativity and a willingness to have fun, music can enhance your
childrens learning environment.

Music Can Strengthen Childrens Minds
Studies have shown time and again that music seems to involve the
brain at almost every level. Peggy Senter, President of the Concord
Community Music School in New Hampshire, says that young
children routinely exposed to music have increased verbal,
emotional, and spatial intelligence in addition to improving body
movement and coordination. She stresses that musical literacy at the
preschool level should be defined by nothing more complicated than
the ability to sing in tune and carry a beat. The ability to play
instruments and understand music theory, which comes later in life,
is actually an added benefit of early exposure to music.
According to the National Association of Music Education, a music
curriculum for preschool-age children should include many
opportunities to explore sound through singing, moving, listening, and
playing instruments. Music used in the classroom should have
lasting value such as traditional childrens songs; folk songs;
classical music; and music from a variety of cultures, styles, and time
periods.

But I Cant Carry a Tune!
Earlychildhood NEWS - Article Reading Center
http://www.earlychildhoodnews.com/earlychildhood/article_view.aspx?ArticleID=632[7/29/2014 12:09:42 PM]
Preschool children will forgive you if you sing off-key, if they even
notice. Most likely, theyll be enthralled that an adult will celebrate
music with them. The benefits that singing aloud provides to the
children in your classroom will far outweigh your embarrassment.
Heather Oberheim, a music and movement teacher at the Concord
Community Music School in New Hampshire says that teacher/adult
interaction is key. Children love to mimic and will have a great time
trying to copy their teacher, whether shes singing a silly song or
beating on a drum. At this age they dont critique, they create.
By participating in the musical process teachers and caregivers help
support healthy self-esteem in young children. The message you
send when singing with kids is that music is fun and being a part of
music with others is fun, Oberheim says, adding that socially, music
can help children interact with one another and with adults. J ohnette
Downing, an award-winning childrens entertainer agrees. She says
there are many ways to use music socially in the classroom. One
suggestion is to appoint a different music helper during each
structured music session. This child is in charge of passing out
musical instruments and collecting them at the end of music time. If
other children abuse the instruments, its the helpers job to ask them
to treat the instruments nicely. Downing says it gives children a
sense of importance to take on this responsibility. Inherently, most of
the children cooperate very well because they know soon it will be
their turn to be in charge.

Five Easy Ways to Incorporate Music into Your Classroom

1. Structured music time is great, but you dont have to stop there.
Music can be worked into practically any activity. One of the best
ways to bring music into your classroom is through opening and
closing songs. Downing likes to have a friendship circle at the
beginning and ending of every day. She feels this unites the class
and starts and ends every day on a positive note. Music is a great
way to bring unity to a group, she says, because it crosses all
levels.
2. Having a music center available to children throughout the day
promotes spontaneous musical appreciation. Teachers can add to
their music centers by supplying a cassette player with headphones
along with book sets that sing along with a picture story. If funding is
an issue, most public libraries will loan out cassettes with sing-along
books. A well-stocked music center can provide a wide variety of
independent musical play for children.
3. Most preschool and kindergarten teachers are already familiar
with transition songs and may not even realize they are using music
to help young children learn about time, order, and routine. You can
use transition songs throughout the day to signal to the children that
its time to move on to something else. If you dont know many
transition songs, you can make them up. Yosi Levin, a performer for
preschool-age children and workshop leader for preschool teachers,
says that kids respond to familiar tunes. With this in mind, if you want
your class to transition from snack time to outside time you can sing,
Lets all put our snacks away, snacks away, snacks away. Lets all
put our snacks away so we can play outside to the tune of Mary
Earlychildhood NEWS - Article Reading Center
http://www.earlychildhoodnews.com/earlychildhood/article_view.aspx?ArticleID=632[7/29/2014 12:09:42 PM]
Had A Little Lamb. The key with transition songs is to have specific
songs for designated transitions. Children love repetition and knowing
what comes next. Thats why they usually respond so well when you
sing the clean-up song towards the end of the day. You can share
musical transitions with parents, which is a great reinforcement for
positive behavior at home and in the classroom.
4. Musical games are another way to incorporate music into your
classroom. Oberheim's students enjoy dressing up in costumes and
changing the words to familiar songs. She selects songs that will
allow each child, or several small groups of children, to sing or use a
musical instrument on cue. First the kids dress up and then make up
the song according to their costumes. Each verse gives a specific
child or group a chance to make their own music. The result is
usually a lot of silly musical fun.
5. There are a variety of ways teachers can incorporate music into
their weekly theme. Whether you are exploring bugs, dinosaurs, food,
or butterflies, songs and sounds can be used to further reinforce
learning. Because children learn from a playful environment, involving
them in songs about the selected theme makes learning even that
much more fun for preschoolers. One suggestion from Oberheim is
to use rainsticks when learning about the weather. Children love the
sounds of rainsticks and the motions required to make those sounds.
After letting the children rain for a few minutes, see if you can get
them to come up with ideas about how other weather sounds. You
can ask them what snow might sound like or the falling leaves.

Favorite Musical Activities
Entertainers and teachers all have their own favorite musical
activities for the classroom. One of Downings all-time favorites is the
Mama Dont Allow song. She divides the class into several groups
by instrument. For example, in the bells group each child rings a
bell, in the drums group each child bangs a drum.
The song goes:
Mama dont allow bells around here.
All the bells ring.
Mama dont allow drums around
here.
All the drums boom.
Follow this chorus until all the instruments have sounded and the
last line is Mama dont allow instruments around here. Then
everybody plays and its musical mayhem. The children will have
learned a little more about cooperation, timing, and group effort while
having a great time.
Levin says children are kinesthetic learners and need to continuously
move about. He suggests musical activities that require body
movements as well as lyrics. Think of the Im a Little Teapot song,
he says. You can make up your own movement songs or find them
Earlychildhood NEWS - Article Reading Center
http://www.earlychildhoodnews.com/earlychildhood/article_view.aspx?ArticleID=632[7/29/2014 12:09:42 PM]
in illustrated music books. The more exaggerated the movements,
the more fun children have. Movement songs provide a great
opportunity for children to further develop coordination, rhythm,
memory, and expression.

Conclusion
Although music does seem to be one of the first things cut in primary
education, it doesnt have to be that way for your preschool. A little
bit of song goes a long way in the development of young minds and
bodies.


Karen Braynard is a freelance writer and primary correspondent for
the Bow Times, covering Concord, the capitol region of New
Hampshire. She is the daughter of two musicians and the mother of
four children ranging in range from four to 13 and has been
homeschooling her children for eight years. To learn more, please
visit her website at www.kbwrite.com.
Recommended Resources for Incorporating Music into the
Classroom




Books & CDs/Cassettes
Johnette Downing, eight-time award winning childrens entertainer
has at least five CD/cassettes and is currently writing a book titled
Sing, Sing, Sing! Using Music in the Preschool Classroom.
CDs/Cassettes by J ohnette Downing include: The Second Line
Scarf Activities Songs; Silly Sing Along; Wild And Woolly Wiggle
Songs; From The Gumbo Pot; and Music Time. For more
information, please visit her website at www.johnettedowning.com.
Yosi Levin is a two-time award winning childrens entertainer and
also leads music workshops for early education teachers. CDs by
Yosi Levin include: Under A Big Bright Yellow Umbrella; Monkey
Business; and Little Kitty. For more information, please visit his
website at www.yosimusic.com.
Ellen Booth Church is an early childhood education consultant and
author of at least 20 books on early childhood topics. Her book
Learning Through Play: Music and Movement is a great resource for
preschool teachers.

Earlychildhood NEWS - Article Reading Center
http://www.earlychildhoodnews.com/earlychildhood/article_view.aspx?ArticleID=632[7/29/2014 12:09:42 PM]
Websites
www.perpetualpreschool.com/music.html has fingerplays, movement
activities, musical instruments, and more.
www.theideabox.com/ideas.nsf/music/song provides a listing of at least 30
songs with movement activities.
www.niehs.nih.gov/kids/musica.htm has more than 100 songs with written
lyrics and midi recordings at no cost.
Articles and activities listed on this website may be printed for single use. No article or activity may be
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